It’s staggering the amount of paperwork that it takes to run a transportation program the old-fashioned way. Every trip requires a paper voucher that changes hands from passengers to drivers to the transportation provider and then to the agency and their staff. That’s thousands and thousands of tons of paper a year. All that paper adds no value at all to the process of conveying passengers safely to their destinations.

So why hasn’t the transportation industry taken advantage of “swipe and go” technology? Until recently, the technology didn’t allow it. But that was then. We have developed a cashless, paperless, seamless system that combines card solutions, electronic transaction technology with a web-based application that even includes GPS tracking. Now, everyone involved in paratransit and aging programs can succeed by going paperless.

The government wins by saving taxpayer dollars, reducing waste and fraud, all while improving services to participants.

Transit agencies benefit by providing better customer service and vastly simplified (that is lower cost) administration. “Live” trip information is available in an accessible, secure web application. Electronic reporting, auditing and billing are at the agency’s fingertips, streamlining manual-based processes. No more processing boxes of vouchers. No more “spot-check” auditing. No more paper.

Greater freedom and independence is a big gain for passengers. Some agencies have chosen to eliminate the requirement to preschedule trips. Participants simply choose from a list of service providers and then swipe and go. The trip is validated by swiping the card.

Drivers reap the rewards of a less stressful work life. They simply swipe the card and drive, keeping their focus on passenger safety and on-time service. No paperwork to deal with, less cash to handle, and no one hassling them for missing information.

Finally, transit providers enjoy lower administrative costs, greater accuracy, and faster reimbursement. Instead of processing thousands of coupons or vouchers, they can focus on the reason they are in business: safe, reliable, cost-effective transportation.

In Baltimore, paperless transportation is making people’s lives easier every day. After the Maryland Transit Administration’s paratransit program implemented our card swipe technology, customer service has improved, rider complaints have declined, and the average cost per trip was reduced.

Einstein’s definition of insanity is doing something the same way over and over and expecting different results. Paperless technologies have become commonplace in banking (debit cards) and retail (gift cards). The technologies are proven to be effective and priced competitively. Paperless technology is now available to the transportation industry, bringing sanity to paper-based management systems. A new way to do the same thing . . . producing better results.